The present invention relates to a system for providing feed and/or water to livestock within a livestock house. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for providing feed and/or water to livestock within a livestock house which moves laterally within the livestock house.
In a livestock house, for instance a poultry house, feeders and drinkers are supplied which provide feed and water, respectively, to the livestock. The feeders are typically supplied with feed by a feed line which extends longitudinally through the livestock house. The feed line receives feed from a fill system typically located outside of the livestock house. The drinkers are typically supplied with water by a watering line which is connected to a main water supply.
Within the livestock house, the feeders and drinkers are located in a fixed position in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The feeders and drinkers, however, are capable of being moved vertically relative to a floor of the livestock house to a desired position, which may depend upon the size of the livestock within the livestock house. The feeders and drinkers can also be moved vertically relative to the floor of the livestock house in order to allow machinery to be used within the livestock house for clearing or cleaning the livestock house.
A number of problems have been associated with the feeders and drinkers being positioned in fixed positions in the longitudinal and transverse directions within the livestock house. When livestock are present in the livestock house, the livestock gather around the feeders and/or drinkers such that an increased amount of excrement is left by the livestock proximate to the feeders and/or drinkers than in other areas of the livestock house. Further, the water from the drinkers tends to be spilled near the drinkers, such that the areas surrounding the drinkers is typically very moist. Because of this, the living conditions of the livestock in the livestock house are not optimal.
Further, it has been observed that when the feeders are positioned in one place within a poultry house, dominant birds will stand by the feeders and try to prevent other smaller birds from gaining access to the feed at the feeders, thus causing the birds to either fight or causing the growth rate of some of the birds to be slower than for other birds.
One known United States patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,914 to Korsten, has attempted to overcome these problems by providing equipment for a poultry house which allows water and/or feed bowls to move in a transverse direction within the poultry house. While this patent overcomes many of these problems, the structure described in the patent causes other problems.
The '914 patent was invented for the purpose of using the invention within poultry houses in Northern Europe. In Northern Europe, poultry houses are typically formed to have heating and cooling ventilation systems formed in the sidewalls thereof such that the poultry houses are open span houses which have no obstructions hanging from the ceiling thereof. The poultry houses in Northern Europe also typically have flat ceilings.
Conversely, in the United States of America and in other parts of Europe, the poultry houses generally do not have heating and cooling ventilation systems built into the structure thereof. Rather, the poultry houses typically have space heaters, brooders and fans suspended from the ceiling of the poultry house for proper heating and ventilation of the poultry house. Further, these poultry houses typically have a triangular roof system which has a number of trusses extending below to provide structural support for the poultry houses. Thus, the invention described in the '914 would not be able to operate as illustrated and described in a poultry house in the United States of America or parts of Europe other than Northern Europe.
The '914 patent describes a system for moving feeders (11) and drinkers (10) transversely within a poultry house (1). The system uses a drive shaft (14) to travel transversely along a plurality of racks (6) and guide rails (7). A winching tube (17) is secured to the drive shaft (14) by a plate (23) such that the winching tube (17) is distanced from the drive shaft (14) at a constant distance. Cables (8) are secured to the winching tube (17) and support the feed conduit (9) and the feeders (11) and drinkers (10), such that as the drive shaft (14) travels transversely within the poultry house (1), the feed conduit (9), the feeders (11) and the drinkers (10) also move transversely within the poultry house (1).
As the poultry houses in Northern Europe do not have any obstructions hanging from the ceiling or roof thereof, the fact that the drive shaft (14), the winching tube (17), the feed conduit (9), the feeders (11) and the drinkers (10) are all generally provided for in the same vertical plane, does not impede the system from moving transversely within the poultry house to move the feeders (11) and the drinkers (10) from one side of the poultry house (1) to the other. However, if the system of the '914 patent were placed into a poultry house in the United States of America or other parts of Europe, the system would not be able to operate effectively because all of the parts which move transversely within the poultry house (1) are positioned generally within the same vertical plane.
If an item is hung from the ceiling of a poultry house in the United States of America, like that shown in FIG. 1, the system would only allow for transverse movement up until the point at which the system, i.e., the drive tube (14) or the winching tube (17) came into contact with the item suspended from the ceiling, thus, effectively preventing the system from moving the feeders (11) and drinkers (10) to as wide a transverse expanse as desired. The winching tube (17) being kept at a constant distance from the drive (14) would also impede the ability of the system to move transversely within such a poultry house having obstacles suspended or hung from the ceiling thereof.
The invention described in the '914 also suffers from a number of other disadvantages. For instance, the feeders and the drinkers are not separated from one another by a large enough distance such that condensation from the drinkers can come onto the feeder to cause rusting of the feed lines, a buildup of activity around the drinkers and feeders can occur, and the drinkers cannot be raised or lowered independently of the feeder line such that a heavy drinker cannot be supported.
Therefore, an improved system for moving feeders and/or drinkers within a livestock house is needed. The present invention provides such a system. Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the attached specification, in combination with a study of the drawings.